Postcards were handed around churches across Wales this Sunday as part of a major drive to help find more vicars.
The bilingual cards will be distributed on Ministry and Calling Sunday (June 5) inviting people to think about whether they, or anyone else they know, should consider a career in the Church in Wales and write a postcard responding to the call.
Ministry and Calling Sunday, now in its second year, is a day dedicated to promoting vocations to ordained ministry. It is part of the Church’s drive to seek out its next generation of leaders.
As well as the postcards, special prayers will be said for people considering ordination and a website was launched to help those who want to find out more about vocations. The website will include video clips of people describing times in their lives when they valued the ministry of a priest. It also gives information on events and church contacts for advice and support. It can be found at www.vocationwales.org.uk
The Bishop of St Asaph, Gregory Cameron, who spearheads the Church’s vocations strategy, said, “We are facing a growing need to find more ministers, with nearly a third of our clergy (166) currently serving due to retire in the next five years. God has not stopped calling people but we need to search out and develop new ways of identifying leaders to sustain our life. Those ordained by the church have still got an important role to undertake, and we all need to work together to seek out vocations – especially among younger people.
“In this busy, noisy world in which we live today, it’s not always easy to hear the “still, small voice of calm” calling us to a different way of life. There are so many distractions and other demands it is difficult to pay attention to what we are really being called to do or to question the path we’re on. Sometimes, it takes others who know us well to point it out to us before we start listening more carefully.”
Those unable to get to church on June 5 will be able to join the congregation of St Asaph Cathedral at a service broadcast on BBC Radio Wales’ Celebration, at 7.30am
The postcards and other resources for Ministry and Calling Sunday can be downloaded at www.churchinwales.org.uk/call or in Welsh, at www.churchinwales.org.uk/galwad/.
Church in Wales Vocations is also on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/vocationswales
